Hydraulic mechanism



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HYDRAULIC MECHANISM Filed Nov. 1, 19 44 5 sheets-sham 4 Q Sept. 20;, 1949. F. T. couR'r 2,482,249

7 HYDRAULIC MECHANISM Filed Nov. 1,, 194% 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 202 we v 20/ I 1 J90 I94- A92 V 1a a 1 INVTOR.

FIGJ3 Patented Sept. 20, 1949 HYDRAULIC MECHANISM Frank T. Court, Moline, IlL, assignor to Deere 8:

Company, Mollne, Ill.,

nois

a corporation of Illi- Application November 1, 1944, Serial No. 561,433

3 Claims. (Cl. 121-41) The present invention relates generally to hydraulic power transmitting mechanism and has for its principal object the provision of a novel and improved hydraulic mechanism, which is more sensitively and more accurately controlled than similar mechanism heretofore known to those skilled in the art, and yet which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of my invention relates to the provision of a hydraulic power transmitting mechanism having a manually adjustable control lever for controlling the movements of the mechanism in either direction, the operation of which is closely similar to that of an ordinary manually controlled lever connected directly to a load.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the control lever moves with the load to an extent which is proportional to the extent of movement of the load. The hydraulic motor moves in a direction corresponding to .the direction of movement of the control lever by the operator, and it moves the load as long as the operator exerts a pressure upon the control lever but when the latter is released, the motor stops immediately. Thus, the operation of the control lever in a hydraulic mechanism constructed according to the preferred embodiment of .my invention, is similar to the movement of an ordinary hand lever connected directly to the load, which moves as long as the operator exerts a pressure against it but stops immediately upon release. The only diilerence in operation is that the actual force required to move the load is exerted by a separate source of power, rather than by the actual pressure exerted by the operator.

A system of this type is valuable for the purpose of adjusting agricultural implements associated with a tractor, inasmuch asoperators of this type of equipment are familiar with the operation of ordinary hand adjusting levers, so that a hydraulic mechanism constructed according to the principles of my invention would require practically no additional training in its operation.

In conventional systems using a follow-up mechanism to stop the hydraulic motor when the latter has reached the predetermined extent of movement, the control valve mechanism is connected with the hydraulic motor by some mechanical system of links and rods, etc. Frequently, however, the hydraulic motor is located at such a distance from the control valve mechanism that it is impractical to provide a mechanical connection therebetween. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a hydraulic mechanism in which the motor is disposed remotely from the valve mechanism, but in which the control lever moves with the movement of the hydraulic motor to a proportional extent, without a separate mechanical connection. More specifically, it is a related object of my invention to provide a novel and improved follow-up mechanism for a remote controlled hydraulic motor.

According to the principles of the present invention, I provide an accurate indication as to the extent of movement of the hydraulic motor by measuring the quantity of oil flowing between the control valve and the motor, which is in direct proportion to the extent of movement of the motor. This is accomplished by means of a flow meter which is connected in series between the control valve and the hydraulic motor. The flow meter is preferably mounted directly upon the housing of the control valve and is provided with a mechanical connection to the valve mechanism by which the follow-up action is obtained.

A further object relates to the provision of an adjustment by means of which motors using different quantities of hydraulic fluid can be used interchangeably with the same flow meter and follow-up connection.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following description in which reference is had to the drawings appended hereto, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a tractor on which is mounted an integral plow, controlled by a hydraulic mechanism for adjusting the position of the plow by power transmitted from the tractor engine.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view taken through the valve casing, substantially along a line 22 in Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational View taken through the flow meter along a line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevational view taken along a line 4-4 in Figure 2 and showing the proportioning mechanism.

Figure 5 is an end view of the valve casing as viewed along a line 5-5 in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of-an apertured plate interposed between the valve case and the flow meter, as viewed from the meter side of the plate indicated by a line 6--6 in Figure 2.

Figure 7 is an elevational view of the valve case side of the plate as viewed along a line 1-1 in Figure 2.

Figure 8 is an elevational view of the edge of the plate.

Figure 9 is a plan view taken in section'through the valve mechanism, substantially along the line 99 in Figure and extended through the hydraulic motor fixed rigidly to the valve casing.

Figure is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken substantially along the line |0|8 in Figure 5.

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the valve mechanism, similar to Figure 1 but drawn to an enlarged scale and showing a remotely controlled "hydraulic motor connected with the valve mechanism.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the control lever assembly as viewed along a line |2-|2 in Figure 1,1.

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the entire hydraulic system.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 and 11, the tractor l5 comprises a longitudinally extending frame |6 having at its rear end a rear axle housing within which is mounted a pair of laterally extending axles |8 journaled in tubular housing extensions 9. The aXles l8 are carried on rear traction wheels 20, the near wheel being removed in Figure 1 to more clearly show the details of the tractor. An engine 2| is mounted on the tractor frame l6 and drives through conventional mechanism in the rear axle housing I! to apply power to the traction wheels through the axles l8.

The implement used for purposes of illustration is a plow comprising a plow bottom 26 rigidly mounted on the lower end of a shank 21 at the rear of a plow beam 28 which extends forwardly therefrom and inclines downwardly at 29 and extends longitudinally under the tractor substantially parallel to the ground at 38. The forward end of the plow beam is pivotally connected through a clevis 3| to the lower arm 32 of a bell crank 33, which is swingably mounted on a transverse pivot 34 for swinging movement in a vertical longitudinal plane. The pivot 34 is mounted on a supporting plate 35 which is securely bolted at 36 to the side of the tractor frame I 6. The upper arm 31 of the bell crank 33 is connected by a pair of links 38, 39 to a lift arm 46 on a rockshaft 4|. The rockshaft 4| is disposed transversely above the tractor frame members l6 and is journaled in laterally spaced bearings 42. The two links 38, 39 are pivotally connected together by a pivot member 43, to which is also connected the forward end of a longitudinally extending link 44, the rear end of which is pivotally connected to the end of the lower arm of a bell crank 46, which is pivoted at 41 ona bracket 48, the latter being rigidly secured to the rear axle housing l9 of the tractor by bolts 49. The upper arm 58 of the bell crank 46 extends rearwardly and is connected by a link 5| to the plow beam 28. Inasmuch as the implement and its connections do not form an essential part of the present invention, it is believed that no further description is required for present purposes.

7 The rockshaft 4| is rotated by means of a hydraulic motor in the form of a hydraulic cylinder (see Figure 9), which is disposed longitudinally of the tractor and rigidly mounted on the side of the tractor engine 2|. A piston. 56 is slidable axially within the cylinder 55 and is mounted ona piston rod 51 which extends through the end of the cylinder and is slidable within a sealing gland 58 which is threaded into the end of the cylinder 55. The forward end of the piston rod 51 is provided with a fitting 59 which is swingably attached by means of a link 68 to an arm 6| mounted rigidly on the rockshaft 4|. Thus, the plow 25 is raised by the piston 56 moving forwardly or to the left in the cylinder 55 and is lowered when the cylinder 56. moves rearwardly or to the right in the cylinder 55,

' The piston 56 is moved by fluid forced into the cylinder 55 by means of a fluid pump 62 (see Figure 1). The pump 62 can be of any suitable conventional type and therefore need not be described here in detail. Preferably, the pump 62 is disposed in the crank case of the engine 2| and is driven by a suitable power connection with the latter, and receives oil from the crankcase, and forces the oil upwardly under pressure through a high pressure supply duct 1?. The flow of oil from the pump to the cylinder 55 is controlled by means of a valve mechanism indicated in its entirety by reference numeral 63 and comprises a valve casing 64 in the form of a casting, through which a cylindrical valve chamber 65 extends longitudinally. Slidably disposed within the valve chamber 65 is a valve member 66, which is cylindrical for the most part and fits closely within the cylinder 65 in order to block any flow of oil therethrough. The fluid pressure supply duct P is connected to an axially extending duct 61 within the casing 64, which registers with a pair of axially spaced ports 68, 69 in the wall of the chamber 65 on opposite sides of the midpoint thereof. Another axially extending passage 10 is connected between a second pair of axially spaced ports 7|, 12 in the wall of the valve chamber 65, spaced outwardly fromthe fluid supply ports 68, 69, respectively. An opening 13 is provided in the top of the casing 64 and is connected by a tube 14 with a valve casing 15 (Fig. 2) disposed inside the crankcase of the engine 2|. A ball valve 16 is urged against a port 'l'l within the casing 15, by means of a spring 18 which reacts against a plug 19 threaded into one end of the casing. The

other end of the casing 15 is connected to a duct 90, which conducts oil to the various engine bearings, illustrated by a bearing housing 9| in which" returning from the control valve 63. The spring I8 is sufiicient to hold a normal lubricating pressure of approximately 35 pounds per square inch in the duct 96. The surplus oil which escapes through the ball valve port 11 returns to the crankcase through the exhaust 93. The pressure of the spring 18 can be adjusted by screwing the plug I9 in or out, thereby adjusting the pressure maintained in the lubricating supply duct 90.

The valve chamber 65 is provided with a, third pair of axially spaced ports 89, 8|, which are located between the two pairs of supply and reservoir ports 68, H and 69, 12, respectively. The ports 80, 8| communicate with check valve passages 82, 83, within which are disposed check valves 84, which are seated in valve seats 86, 81 and are urged into seated relation within the seats by means of compression springs 88, 89, respectively. The springs 86, 89 are yieldable to permit fluid to flow away from the valve chamber 65 but the check valves 84, 85 prevent flow of oil from the check valve passages 82, 83 into the valve chamber 65.

A pair of check valves 95, 96 are disposed at the ends of the valve member 66 and are provided with valve stems 91 extending inwardly toward the valve member 66. The ends of the adeaaeo valve stems 91 are seated within thimbles 98,

opposite ends thereof, respectively. The check valves 95, 96 are seated in the outer sides of the seat members IOI, I02 and have their stems 91 extending through the annular seat members into the valve chamber 65. A pair of compression springs I03 urge the check valves 95, 96 against the seat members IOI, I02, which normally close off the ends of the valve chamber 65. The springs I03 are somewhat stronger than the springs I and act in opposition thereto to hold the check valves 95, 96 in firm seating relation in the annular seats IOI, I02, hence the inner springs I00 are held in compression against the ends of the valve member 66 to center the.

latter within the chamber 65. The chambers I04, I which are disposed in the valve casing on the outer sides of the annular seat members IOI, I02, respectively, are connected with the check valve passages 82, 83 by short passages I06, I01, respectively, and the valve chamber I04 is connected by a passage I08 to the forward end of the motor cylinder 55.

A flow meter H5 is mounted on the rear or right end of the valve casing 64, the latter being provided with a vertical extendingflange II6 which serves to support a, similar vertical flange II1 on the flow meter II5. A connecting plate H8 is disposed between the flanges II6, II1 and is formed with passages for interconnecting certain passages in the valve case 64 and flow meter II5 as will be described. The flanges II6, H1 and the plate II8 are provided with registering bolt holes II9, through which clamping bolts I are inserted for the purpose of clamping the flanges and plate rigidly together so that the flow meter H5 and the valve casing 64 form a rigid unitary structure.

The flow meter II5 comprises a pair of intermeshing gears I25, I26 which are disposed within a pair of cylindrical intersecting gear chambers I21, I28, respectively. The gears fit closely within the chambers I21, I28 50 that the ends of the teeth are disposed in sliding contact with the cylindrical walls of the chambers. The gear I is journaled on a pair of axially spaced bearing sleeves I29, best shown in Figure 10, the sleeves I29 being pressed into sockets I30 in the plate II8 and in the flow meter II5, respectively. Between the two bearing sleeves I29 the gear I25 is provided with an axially extending 5, respectively. Packing glands I21 are provided embracing the ends I33 01' the rod to prevent loss of oil from the rod passages I94, I35. and the glands I31 are securely held in place by bushings I38.

The other gear I26 is mounted on a short shaft I39, one end of which is iournaled in a socket I (see Figure 6), in the plate H6, and the other end of which is journaled in a similar socket (not shown) ,in the flow meter casing H5. The gear chambers I21, I28 are open attheir inner ends and abut against the face of the plate II8.

The plate H8 is provided with an aperture I which registers with the check valve passage 83 and thereby connects the latter in communication with the gear chambers I21, I26 adjacent one side of the intermeshing teeth of the gears I25, I26. An aperture I46 is provided in the plate IIO communicating with the gear chambers .I21, I28 on the opposite side of the intermeshing teeth from the aperture I45. The

, left side of the plate H8 is provided with a valve threaded aperture I3I, which is adapted to engage an axially extending threaded rod I32, which is slidable within the sleeves I29 and engages the threads in the gear aperture I3I. The engagement of these threads is rather loose, so that the thrust of the gear I25 is carried entirely by the sleeves I29, while rotation of the gear I25 causes the threaded rod I32 to shift axially through the sleeves I29. The ends I33 of the rod I 32 .are slightly smaller in diameter than thethreaded portion of the rod, and extend forwardly through a passage I34 in the valve case 64 and rearwardly through a passage I35 in a tubular extension I36 of the flow meter seat I41 around the edge of the aperture I46 and receives a check valve I46, which is urged in seated position by means of a strong compression spring I49 within a check valve chamber I formed in the valve casing 64. The check valve I48 is an excess pressure relief valve and therefore the spring I49 is strong enough to hold the valve I48 closed against normal working pressures in the system. The excess pressure valve chamber I50 is connected to a longitudinally extending duct I5I in the'casing 64, which connects with the check valve chamber I04 at the forward end of the valve casing 64, as best shown in Figure 9.

A branch I52 of the duct I5I extends to a second excess pressure relief valve I53 which is disposed within a valve chamber I54 in the valve casing 64, best shown in Figure 10. The check valve I53 is seated in a seat I55 and is yieldably held in seated relation by a strong compression spring I56, which holds the valve I53 closed against normal operating pressures within the connecting duct I5I but yields to an excess pressure within that duct. The opposite end of the valve chamber I54 is disposed in register with an aperture I in the plate H8. The apertures I46, I60 are interconnected by means of a groove I6I in the plate II8, the depth of which is substantially one-half that of the thickness of the plate, as'best shown in Figure 8. The groove is formed in the side of the plate adjacent the flow meter H5 and is covered by the flange H1 or the flow meter. A continuation I62 of the groove I6I extends in an are about the axis of the valve chamber I05, as best shown in Figure 3. The end of the groove I62 communicates with an aperture I63 in the plate II8, which is disposed in register with a passage I54 in the valve casing 64, which passage leads to the rear end of the cylinder 55, as best shown in Figure 9.

The valve member 66 is shown in the drawings in its neutral position. It is provided with a pair of axially spaced zones or sections I10, I1I of reduced diameter, which are actually tapered as shown in Figures '2 and 9, but are exaggerated in the schematic diagram of Figure 13 for the sake of clearness. In the neutral position of the valve member 66, the portions of reduced diameter I10, I1I bridge across and interconnect the supply ports 68, 69 and the adjacent reservoir ports H, 12, respectively. This causes the oil to flow from the supply duct P through the two be described later.

supply ports 88. 88 along the reduced portions I18, "I of the valve member 66 and through the ports 1|, 12 and ducts 18, 14 into the lubricat supp y duct 88. Any surplus oil beyond that required for lubrication, escapes through the ball valve port 11 into the reservoir through the exhaust 93. The oil is locked in both ends of the cylinder 55 to hold the piston 56 against movement therein, by means of the check valves 84, 85, 85, 86, all of which are, held in closed position by their respective compression springs 88. 88 and I83. This locks the rockshaft 4I against movement and thereby holds the implement in fixed position except for such flexibility as is provided by the link connections.

The im'plement is raised by shifting the valve member 66 toward the left, by means which will Shifting the valve member 66 to the left closes the supply port 68 and also closes the reservoir port 12 from communication with the check valve port 8| and also acts through the stem 81 to open the check valve 85. The oil now flows from the pump duct P through the port 68, around the reduced portion In of the valve member 66, into the check valve port 8I, forcing the check valve 85 open, against the pressure of the spring 88. The oilfiows through the check valve passage 83, and since the check valve 86 is held closed by the spring I83, the oil flows through the aperture I45 in the plate I I8 into the flow meter. The oil pressure rotates the flow meter gears, turning the gear I25 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3, the other gear I26 turning in a counterclockwise direction, carrying the oil between the gear teeth and the gear chambers I21, I28 and discharging the oil through the aperture I46 in the plate H8. The oil then flows through the groove I6I, I62 and through the aperture I63 in the plate and the passage I64 in the valve casing into the rear end of the cylinder 55, the pressure of the oil.

forcing the piston 56 forwardly or to the left as viewed in the drawings. With normal loads on the piston rod 51, the oil pressure is insufllcient to force the check valve I48 open and therefore no oil flows intothe duct I I As the piston 56 moves toward the left, the oil in the forward end of the cylinder 55 is forced by the piston through the passage I88 into the valve chamber I84. this time, closed, but as mentioned above, the check valve 85 is held open by the valve member 66 and therefore the oil flows through the annular seat I8I into the valve chamber 65 and through the reservoir port 1| and ducts 18, 14 into the lubricating duct 88 and through the ball valve port 11 to the reservoir. The'piston 56 can be stopped at any point by returning the valve member 66 to the neutral position, thereby closing the exhaust check valve 85 and reestablishing the circulation of oil from the supply ports 68, 68 to the reservoir ports 1 I, 12.

The piston- 56 can then be shifted toward the right or rear end of the cylinder 55 to lower the load, by shifting the valve member 66 toward the right, closing off the supply port 68 and blockingcommunication between the reservoir port 1| and the check valve port 88, and at the same time acting through the valve stem 81. to open the check valve 86. The oil now flows through the supply port 68 around the reduced portion I18 of the valve member 66, through the passage 88, forcing open the check valve 84, and

thereby allowing the oil to flow through the open- Thecheck valve 84 is at 8 ing I86 and through the check valve chamber I84 into the forward end of the. cylinder 65 through the passage I88. Movement of the piston 56 toward the right forces the oil from the right end of the cylinder 55 through the passage I64 and aperture I63, around the groove I62, I6I into the flow meter through the aperture I46. The oil leaves the flow meter through the aperture I in the plate '8 and flows into the check valve passage 83, but since the check valve 85 is closed by the pressure of the oil, the latter flows through the aperture I81 into the check valve chamber I85. As mentioned above, the ex haust valve 86 is open, permitting the oil to flow into the reservoir port 12 and through the ducts 18, 14 and ball valve 11 back to the reservoir.

'Again, the piston 56 can be stopped at any point in its range by returning the valve member 68 to neutral position, thereby establishing a circulation of oil from the supply ports 68,68 to the reservoir ports 1|, 12, while the check valves 84, 85, 85, 86 are all closed by their respective springs and by the pressure of oil within the cylinder.

It should be noted that there is no discontinuity in the flow of oil to the bearings 8I through the supply duct 88. Whenever the lift cylinder is stationary, the entire output of the pump 62 flows directly through the control valve 63 to the supply duct 88, and when this direct supply of oil is cut oil by the valve member 66 and applied under full lifting pressure to either end of the cylinder 55, the oil from the other end of the latter flows to the lubricating supply duct 88 and is maintained at the comparatively low pressure required for lubrication by the ball valve. Hence, there is never a time when the bearings are deprived of oil under constant pressure of appropriate value.

Although oil is an'incompressible fluid, it frequently occurs that air or oil vapor accumulates in such quantities that even with the check valves closed, the piston 56 is not held rigidly in adjusted position, since it can be reciprocated back and forth to the extent permitted by the compression and expansion of the trapped gases or air within the cylinder or connecting ducts. This difiiculty is overcome, however, according to the principles of my invention, by the" provision of a small amount of clearance between the check valve thimbles 88 and the ends of the sockets 88 in the valve member 66. By virtue of this clearance, indicated by reference numerals I12,

I13 in Figure 2, the valve memberdoes not engage the thimbles 88 until after it is shifted far enough to cut off communication between the reservoir .port andthe check valve port at the opposite" end of the valve. The result of this provision is that pressure is established on one side of the piston 56 slightly before the exhaust valve on the other side of the piston is opened. Conversely, when the valve member 66 is shifted back to neutral position, the exhaust check valve is allowed to close slightly before the pressure is relieved from the other end of the cylinder. This causes the air in the cylinder, if any, to be maintained in a compressed state at all times, thereby minimizing the amount of lost motion in the piston 56 when the valve member 66 is in neutral position, with the result that for practical purposes, the piston 56 is locked rigidly in'its adjusted position in the cylinder 55.

For example, when the valve member 66 is shifted toward the left to eifect an adjustment of the piston 56 toward the left, the valve member compresses the spring 88 associated with the exhaust valve 95, but does not'move the latter, since I the spring I03 which holds the valve 95 isstronger than the spring 99. The clearance I12 is suf ficient that the reservoir port 12 is cut off by the valve member 66 from communication with the port 8| and the supply port 68 is also blocked by the valve member 66, causing oil pressure to be applied through the check valve 85 to the rear end of the cylinder 55, while the check valve 95 at the opposite end is still closed. Thus, the pressure builds up in both ends of the cylinder 55, compressing any gases or air that may be there. A very slight further movement of the valve member 56 causes the latter to engage the thimble 98 of the check valve 95 and open the latter, relieving pressure from the forward end of the cylinder 55 and permitting the piston 56 to move forwardly therein. Conversely, when the valve member 66 is returned to neutral position, it disengages the thimble 98 of the exhaust check valve 95, closing the latter slightly before the reservoir port 12 is opened into communication with the supply port 69, whereupon a high compression is established within the cylinder 55 immediately before the valve member 66 is neutralized, thereby locking the piston 56 rigidly in adjusted position.

As stated above, the valve member 66 is maintained in a central position by the opposed springs 99 at opposite ends thereof.

In case the operator does not release the valve member 66 and permit it to move to neutral position to stop the piston 56 before it arrives at the end of the cylinder 55, or in the event that the load on the rockshaft approaches the maximum safe value, the oil pressure on one side of the piston 56 rises to a value sufficient to open the associated excess pressure relief valve I48 or I53. For example, should the piston 56 reach the forward end of the cylinder, the pressure in the rear end of the cylinder rises until the check valve I48 is forced open, permitting the oil to flow through the passage II into the'valve chamber I04 and past the exhaust valve 95, which is held open by the valve member 66, into the reservoir port 1I. Conversely, should the piston 56 reach the rear end of the cylinder 55, the pressure in the forward end of the cylinder rises, acting through the oil in the duct I5I to force open the check valve I53, thereby establishing a flow through the valve chamber I54, the aperture I69 in the plate H8, through the groove 'I6I and through the flow meter II5 into the valve chamber 83 through the aperture I45 in the plate, and from there through the exhaust valve 96 into the reservoir port 12.

The valve member 66 is shifted by means of a manually adjustable control lever I'15, swingably mounted on a pivot pin I16, the lever I15 being provided with a supporting hub I11 that is journaled on the pin I16. The pivot pin is supported on an arm I18, which is fixed to a shaft I19, journaled in a hemicylindrical recess I86 in the valve casing 64, intersecting the valve chamber 65 beneath and substantially perpendicular thereto. The shaft I19 is formed with a pair of axially 10 as best shown in Figures 10 and 11. The cable I85 is provided with a limited amount of flexibility in bending, but is substantially rigid against twisting. A piece of piano wire can be substituted for the cable I85 if desired.

Thus, by swinging the lever' I15 about the pivot pin I'84 as a fulcrum, the-shaft I19 is rocked through the arm I18, to rock the pinion tooth I8I and thus shift the valve member 66 in either direction from the neutral position. Swinging the lever forwardly or to the left, rocks the toothed shaft I19 in a counterclockwise direction whichshifts the valve member 66 toward the left which, as explained above, causes a movement of the piston 56 toward the forward or left end of the cylinder 55. Similarly, by swinging the lever I15 to the right, the piston 56 m'ove's rearwardly in the cylinder 55, thereby rocking the main rock-l shaft 4| in a clockwise direction. As the piston 56 moves in the cylinder 55, the oil flows through the flow meter, rotating the gear I on its 'sup-;

porting sleeves-I29, causing the threaded portion I3I to cooperate with the threaded rod I32 to extending splines spaced apart to form a pinion in the forward end I33 of the threaded rod I32,

shift the latter in the direction opposite to the movement of the piston 56, thereby causing the lever I15 to swing about the pivot pin I16 with the handle of the lever moving in the same direction as the piston 56 and at a speed substantially proportional to the speed of the piston 56. For example, when the lever I15 is shifted forwardly about the pivot I84, the valve member 66 is shifted forwardly, causing oil to flow through the check valve and through the flow meter from the aperture I45 to the aperture I46 in the plate I I 8, into the right end of the cylinder 55, thereby pushing the piston 56 forwardly or to the left. Rotation of the flow meter gear I25 causes the threaded rod I32 to shift toward the right, exerting a pull through the cable I85 on the lower pivot pin I84, thereby causing the lever I15 to swing in a counterclockwise direction as the piston 56 moves forwardly.

rectly proportional to the movement of the piston therein and the volume of oil is proportional, to the number of revolutions of the meter gear I25, it follows that the axial movement of therod I33 is directly proportional to the movement of the piston 56 in the cylinder 55. Hence, the position of the rod I33 and lever I15 controlled thereby is an indication of the position of the piston.

The piston 56 can be stopped in any position of adjustment by releasing the lever I15, which retracts slightly in a clockwise direction as the valve member 66 is centered, but the position of the lever I15 provides a visual indication of the position of the piston 56 within the cylinder. When the operator swings the lever I15 rearwardly or to the right as viewed in the drawings, the valve member 66 is shifted toward the right, causing a pressure to build up in the forward end of the cylinder 55 while the oil in the rear end of the cylinder is discharged through the passage I 64 and through the flow meter, but this time in a reverse direction from the aperture I46 to the apertur I45 in the plate I I 8, thereby turning the gear I25 in the reverse direction and shifting the threaded rod I'32 toward the left, thereby shifting the lever I15 by pushing through the cable I85 against the pin I84 and swinging the lever about the upper pivot I16, at a speed which is substantially' proportional to the speed of travel of the piston 56 rearwardly in the cylinder 55. The

pitch of the threads on the rod I32 and gear I25 amazes are such that the lever I15 travels through a predetermined angular range as the piston 56 moves from one end of the cylinder 55 to the other. The extent of this range of movement of the lever I15 is limited by permanent stops I86, I81 (see Figure 11) in the form of brackets on the side of the engine 2|, and which support an arcuate guide member I86 having an arcuate slot I81. An adjustable stop I88 is provided with a threaded stud I89 slidable within the slot I81. A thumb nut I98 threads on the stud and secures the stop in adjusted position; The adjustable stop I88 can be set on the guide I86 to stop the control lever I15 at any point in its range for the purpose of determining the operating position of the plow or other implement. It will be noted, however, that the lever I15 can be moved past the stop I88 by bending the lever slightly inwardly, to permit the implement to be adjusted beyond the predetermined operating position, or to synchronize the lever with the piston as will be explained later.

In the event that an excess load is imposed upon the rockshaft 4I, raising the pressure in the cylinder above the pressure for which the relief check valves I48, I53 are set, one of the latter will be forced open, depending upon the direction of travel of the piston 56, thereby bypassing the cylinder 55 through the by-pass duct I 5|. Therefore, since the oil continues to fiow through the flow meter II 5, the lever I15 continues to move until it encounters the appropriate one of the two stops I86, I81, after which the threaded rod I32 swings the lever about the stop as a fulcrum to return the valve member 66 to neutral position. Thus it is evident that even though the operator holds the control lever I15 in an active position after the load has increased above the permissible maximum value, the valve is automatically shut ofi after the short period of time required to shift the threaded rod I32 to the end of its stroke, after which no further movement of the valve member 66 can be made inthat direction, although it can be shifted in the opposite direction to back the piston away fromthe obstruction which has caused the excess pressure.

At that time, however, the control lever I15 is out of timing with respect to the piston 56, for the control lever is at the end of its stroke while the piston 56 is at an intermediate position depending upon where the obstruction was encountered. The lever I15 can easily be resynchronized with the piston 56, however, by swinging it in the opposite direction to shift the piston away from the load and holding it in the said opposite direction after the piston 56 strikes the end of the cylinder 55, until the lever has been shifted by the threaded rod I32 up against the opposite stop on the casing 64, thereby oaus-' ing the valve member 66 to be returned to neutral position.- Now the piston 56 and the control lever I15 are both at the end of their rangeof movement in that direction and are therefore back in timed relation.

Although I have explained the operation of the hydraulic mechanism with the fiow meter, in connection with the built-in cylinder 55', it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the fiow meter could be replaced by a simple direct mechanical connection from the lower pivot pin I84 to the rockshaft 4|. However, the

, fiow meter H5 is an essential part of the system when the latter is used in connection with a remote hydraulic motor I99 in the form of a piston through a suitable fitting I96 to a flexible hose I91, the opposite 'end of which is connected through a fitting I98 (see Figure 11) to an aperture I99 (see Figure 9) in the side of the case 64 and communicating with the .passage I5I. When only the built-in cylinder 55 is used, the aperture I99 is tightly closed by means of a suitable plug 298.

The rear end of the cylinder I92 is connected through a suitable fitting 29I to a flexible hose 292, the opposite end of which is connected through a fitting 29 3 to an aperture 294 (Figure 3) in the side of the flow meter case II5, communicating with the aperture I46 in the platev II8. The aperture 294 is tightly closed by a plug 285 (Figure 2), when the remote cylinder I92 is not connected in the circuit. 7

When it is desired to use only the fluid motor I90, the piston 56 is blocked rigidly within the cylinder 55, preferably by means of a bolt 2I9 (see Figure 11), which rigidly fixes the arm 6| to a bearing casting 42. Thus, although pressure builds up within the cylinder 55, there is no movement of the piston 56 therein, permitting full pressure to be applied to the piston I9I in the cylinder I92.

It will be evident that if the remote cylinder.

I92 has the same piston displacement as the built-in cylinder 55, the range of movementof the control lever I15 is the same for either cylinder when used alone. That is to say, the movement of the lever I15 will besubstantially proportional in speed to the movement of the piston I9I the remote cylinder I92 in parallel with the cylinder 55 and control them simultaneously. Without further provision, however, this would not be practicable, for the control lever I15 would engage the stops I86, I81 long before the parallel connected cylinders 55, I92 had reached the end of their range, for the flow meter H5 moves the lever I15 a distance proportional to the quantity of oil that has fiowed through the gears, and obviously the two parallel connected cylinders-would require considerable more oil than would one of them alone. The same would be true if alarger cylinder were used at the remote position. Of course, it is possible to remove the stops I88, I81 and permit the lever I15 to have a longer'ran e of travel when there is more oil to pump, but such longer range of travel might be too long to be convenient, for it might swing the control lever I15 out of reach of the operator, not to mention the necessity for making the threaded rod I32 long enough and the connections from the rod to the lever proper for the longer range of movement.

To obviate these difllculties, I have provided for by-passing a certain proportion of the oil,

in the cylinder I92 and the position of they control lever I15 will be a visual indication at of the oil is by-passed around the flow meter.

This is accomplished by providing a short bypass duct 2I5 (see Figure 4), interconnecting the two sides of the gear chambers across the intermeshing teeth of the gears I25, I26. The interconnecting passage H5 is provided within an enlarged portion 2I6 of the flow meter housing II 5, with a pair of passages 2H, 2I8 at opposite ends or the interconnected passage 2I5, respectively, disposed in alignment with the apertures I45, I45 in the plate IIB, respectively. A threaded bolt member 220 is disposed in coaxial alignment with the by-pass duct 2I5, the inner end of which serves as a plug 22I, which can be inserted into the by-pass duct 2I5 to completely close the same, or can be backed away from the end of the duct 2I5 to permit a limited flow of oil therethrough. The bolt member 22I! is supported in a bushing 222, which is threaded into an aperture 223 in the upper end of the enlarged housing portion 2I6 and a gland 224 is provided 25 for sealing the bolt member 220 against leakage of oil. A sealing washer 225 is provided under the head of the bushing 222.

When the remote cylinder I92 is of the same capacity as the built-in cylinder 55, and the re- 80 mote cylinder is to be used alone, the bolt memher 220 can be screwed in until the inner end 22I blocks the interconnecting duct 2I5. However, when a remote cylinder I92 of larger capacity is installed, the bolt member 220 is backed outwardly to open the by-pass duct 2I5 slightly to permit a portion of the fluid flow to be bypassed throuzh the by-pass Ill. The lever I15 is then actuated until it comes up against one of the stops I88. m but u it engages the stop before the cylinder has reached the end of its travel, that is an indication that more oil should babypassed and therefore the bolt member 220 is backed of! still farther to move the end 22I farther from the end of the by-pass m. Conversely, if the hydraulic motor I 82 travels over its range before the lever I" engages the stop, the plug 22I should be moved closer to the end of the by-pass 2I5. In this manner. the flow of oil throu h. the meter and the by-pass can "be proportioned so that the lever Ill and the iston IOI travel over their rances in the same length of time. In the event that the lever I'll and piston III get out of synchronism with each other. they can be resynchroni' ed by the same method des r b d above in connection with the built-in c linder 88.

I do not in end m Invention to be limited in the exact deta ls sho n and described herein, exce t as set forth in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In po er transmitt ng mechan sm. a c linder and piston slidable therein. means for sunplying flui under pressure thereto. valve means for controlling the now of fluid to and from said cylinder. means for measuring the uuantity of fluid flowin through said valve means as an in cation of the position of said piston in said cylinder and including'a pair of intermeshing years. one 'of said gears having an axially ex- N tending threaded aperture therein. a threaded rod engaging said aperture and shiftable axially by rotation of said gear, a manually adjustable 1cm connected to said valve means for controlling the movements of said piston, shiftable fulcrum means for pivotally supporting said lever, and means connecting said rod with said fulcrum means for shifting the latter to adjust the position of said lever.

2. In hydraulic mechanism, a double acting cylinder, 9. piston slidable therein, valve means connected with both ends of said cylinder for directing fluid under pressure into either end of said cylinder to shift said piston in either direction therein, selectively, a manually adjustable lever connected to said valve means for controlling the movements of said piston, means for measuring the fluid flow into and out of at least one end of said cylinder, a differential connection between said measuring means, said valve means and said lever for shifting the relative positions of said lever and valve during movement of said piston, a pair of stops defining the limits of the range of movement of said lever, and a pair of excess pressure relief valves connected to each end of said cylinder for lim ting the pressure therein and for by-passing the fluid around said cylinder when said piston reaches the end of its stroke before the lever reaches the corresponding end of its range, to permit said cylinder and lever to be adjusted to synchronized relation.

3. In hydraulic mechanism, a double acting cylinder, 9. piston slidable therein. valve means connected with both ends of said c linder for directing fluid under pressure into either end of said cylinder to shift said piston in either direction therein. selectivelv. a. manually adiustable lever connected to said valve means for controlling the movements of said iston. means for measuring the. fluid flow into and out of at least one end of said cylinder. a d fferential connection between said measuri g means. said valve means and s id lever for shi tin t e rela ive positions of said lever and valve dur ng mov ment of said p ston. a pair of stops definin t e l m ts of'the range of movement of sa d lever. an adiu table byass connec ion arou d said me suring means prov din for bv-mssiniz a por ion of the fluid to accommodate d ff r nt sizes of c linders. and a pair of excess pressure rel f va ves connected to each end of sa d c lin er for lim tin: the re sure there n and for lav-p ssing the fluid aro nd s id c linder wh n said ston reaches the end of it stroke be ore the lever reaches t e cnrre ondim'z end of its ran e. to permit said cylinder and lever to be adjusted to synchronized relation.

FRANK 'I'. COURT.

nmaancns orrn The followin references are of record in the me of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,103,738 Burns July 14, 1914 1,221.8" Lewis Apr. 20, 191'! 1,809.0'18 Paine July 8, 1919 1.684.228 Kindervater Sept. 11, 1928 1,897.886 Ferris Feb. 14, 1933 2,182.838 ziebolz Oct. 4, 1988 2.172.315 Blasig Sept. 5, 1989 2.804.380 Shaefler Dec. 8, 1942 2,307,585 Harrington Jan, 5, 1943 2,840,474 Johnson Feb. 1, 1944 

